Hammock



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No. 537,222. Patented Apr. 9, 1895.

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T.. C. MGPHERSON.

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No. 537,222. vPatentedApn 9, 1895.

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UNITEDA STATES f VPATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS MCPHERSON, OF BEAVER FALLS, PElSTNSYLVANIA.

HAMMooK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 537,222, dated April 9, 1895.

Application filed December 29, 1893. Serial No. 495,045. (No model.)

Y ToA all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS C. McPHnRsoN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Beaver Falls, in the county of Beaver and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Hammocks, of which the following is a descriptio n'.

The invention relates to that class of hammocks in which a wire fabric is used instead of the more commonly employed materials, and has for its object the production of a hammock of wire which shall be so constructed as to possess the yielding properties of the knitted cord hammock, and combining therewith' the greaterstrength and durability of the wire, and at the same time securing these results through a simple, light, and inexpensive construction.

vHammocks heretofore constructed of wire have not been of great practical utility owing to the rigidity of their construction, and the great stress to which those wires directly supporting the weight would be brought through a lack in the construction of adistrbution of the strain throughout the entire fabric.

The distribution of the Weight throughout the hammock which permits the use of a lighter wire; the production of the necessary dish or depression when suspended, and the construction of the hammock of a thoroughly flexible and yielding fabric which will remain in its extended form at all times,

form the essential objects of the present in-V vention.

thehammock at one of the stays.

The invention consists in a hammock formed of a wire fabric constructed of transverse coils of wire intermeshing one with the other, having tapering ends formed by a shortening in the lengths of the coils composing such end portion, and means connected with said ends for supporting the same.

Further the invention consists in certain other novel features in the construction and arrangement of parts, all as hereinafter described.

In th'e accompanying drawings in which the invention is fully illustrated, Figure 1, is a top or plan View of the hammock in its suspended position. Fig.'2, is a section taken through Fig. 3, is a transverse sectional view taken on the line :1c-a: of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, is a side view of a portion of the hammock showing the manner in which the free ends of the coils are connected.

Referring to the construction of the hammock andthe parts comprising the same, as illustrated, the main or body portion thereof is composed of transverse coils A, which are loosely intermeshed one with the other, as by the fabric so formed the coils are adapted to nove one within the other thus giving a great amount of play at their connections and permitting the hammock to yield and be depressed after the manner of the cloth and cord hammocks. The hammock, by reason of its Wire construction, remains at all times in its extended open form, and is therefore given the shape shown. lt comprises a 4central portion B having parallel edges, and the end portions C which form a continuation thereof, having converging edges.

The end coil A is of comparatively short length and composed of onlya sufficient number of turns or loops as is consistent with the desired strength of the hammock, as on the end coils the entire weight placed in the hammock is supported. As a means for hanging the hammock so as to distribute the strain uniformly on the several loops or meshes of the coil A', a bar of wood or other materialA is inserted within the said coil, and to it secured, preferably at each end thereof, the hanging ropes or chains D.

Each succeeding coil comprising the taperf ing end portion C of the hammock increases the number of its loops or meshes one more than its preceding coil, so that the free ends of each coil will be hooked in the mesh or loop of the succeeding coil and thus form a straight edge.

The central portion B, in which the edges run parallel, the coils, while of the same length, intermesh so as to bring together the free ends of every two contiguous coils, the said ends being hooked as shown.

Along each side of the hammock at predetermined points are inserted Within two of the impacted ends of contiguous coils, so as to combine their loops, a short.-stay E, which is preferably of wood and in the tapering form shown. The prime function of these stays is to form a means for contracting the side borders or edges, so that when the hammock is suspendedit will assume a concave or dish like ICO form. The tapering form of the bar or stay permits the full distension of the meshes in the central portion of the hammock, and gradually contracts thelength of the edges or sides of the hammock by impacting and com bining two contiguous coils as they approach the edge of the hammock; thus eectivelysecuring the concave or dished shape of the hammock when suspended, and equalizing the tension of meshes throughout, when supporting the Weight of the body.

The stays E are preferably provided with one or more pins F, driven therein on the under side, and by their engagement with the Wire loops they hold the stay in position. rlhis stay while forming the preferred means for impacting the ends of two contiguous coils one within the other at predetermined points along the edges gives also a reinforcement, and rigidity to the outer edges of the hammock which is desirable and operates to preserve the extended form` ot' the hammock, but other means, it is obvious, may be used, to secure the same results.

Around the edges of the hammock is passed erwise serrated edges of the Wire fabric, and

protecting the person and the garments from contact with the ends of the transverse coils.

It has also thefunction of forming a yielding reinforcing strip for the outer edgesof the fabric, and keeps the coils comprising the fabric extended with relation to each other.

Obviously other means can be employed to protect and reinforce the edges of the hammock instead of using the coil, but the means described have proved to be the most elicient, and do not impair the flexibility of the hammock, while securing symmetry and stability to the general outline of the hammock.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A wire hammock composed of transversely arranged intermeshed coils having at predetermined points along its sides animpaction of the meshes of one coil within those of another whereby to give the hammock a concave form when suspended, and suitable means for holding the meshes so impacted, substantially as described.

2. A wire hammock composed of intermeshed coils,having at predetermined points along its sides stays inserted within the ends ot' two impacted coils, thereby combining the loops or meshes of the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A wire hammock composed of intermeshed coils, having tapering stays inserted Within two impacted coils at predetermined points along its sides, thereby combining the loops or meshes ot' the same, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS C. MCPHERSON.

Witnesses:

G. L. EBERHART, THos. G. McPHERsoN. 

